The chancellor of Muteesa I Royal University (MIU) Justice Julia Ssebutinde has threatened to quit the post if students continue staging violent strikes.
Ssebutinde was appointed chancellor by the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. However, the Masaka-based institution has been engulfed in violence since her installation last year.
The most violent strike occurred on August 26, when students blocked a university council meeting and threatened to lynch university officials while protesting against deficient conditions at the university.
The students protested over poor sanitation at the campus, lack of textbooks, dilapidated structures and failure to pay lecturers salaries. They demanded for resignation of the vice chancellor Prof Arthur Sserwanga, whom they accused of running down the kingdom-backed institution.
While presiding over the sixth graduation ceremony at the university main campus at Kirumba, Masaka yesterday, Ssebutinde observed that the past one year has been very challenging as a result of the violence mounted by students. She adds that if the trend is not reversed, she would end her tenure of service.
Ssebutinde noted that she prefers protecting her reputation than being messed up by violence. She however hastens to add that the university has established a series of conflict resolution mechanisms.
“I encourage dialogue to staff and students, to staff and management as a means of solving grievances. Nobody gains if property and life are destroyed. I appeal to all students, staff and management and council and all stakeholders to do what it takes to make MIU [peaceful],” she said.
At least 1200 students were awarded certificates, diplomas and degrees at the university on Friday.
Meanwhile, Prof Sserwanga explained that students whose graduation was blocked by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) would be cleared before the end of the year.
More than 150 students who were due to graduate yesterday were blocked on grounds that their courses were not accredited despite completing four years of study in Mechanical and Civil Engineering.
Serwanga says that the university had hoped that the NCHE would accredit the courses before the graduation. He however adds that they meet the credentials for verification by the council. Sserwanga asked the affected students to be calm saying they will graduate most probably in June this year.
Jesse Lumu, the university guild president who is one of those affected says he has been given assurance that their issues will be resolved. He is optimistic that the university avails all the required documentation to the council to eliminate the uncertainty surrounding the Engineering courses at the university.